A federal court approved Michigan’s new state House maps Wednesday, for now bringing an end to the yearslong process.
The court ruled in December that the redistricting process led by Michigan’s first independent redistricting commission produced maps that were unconstitutional, saying they unfairly diluted the power of Black voters in the Detroit area.
The panel ordered the Commission to redraw seven state House districts and six state Senate districts. After three months of additional meetings and public input, the commission submitted their state house maps earlier this month.
The three-judge panel ruled unanimously today that the new Detroit-area districts satisfy constitutional requirements and give Black voters enough power to elect candidates of their choice.
“On the record and objections before us here, federal law provides us no basis to reject the Commission’s remedial House plan,” the panel wrote.
This year’s House elections will likely proceed as normal under the new district boundaries. No districts beyond the greater Detroit-area were impacted by the changes.
The Commission still needs to redraw maps for several Detroit-area state senate districts. Since those elections aren’t until 2026, the commission will be under a more relaxed timeline. Similarly, those in other parts of the state can likely expect their Senate districts to remain the same.
